The Color Purple by Alice Walker Read Free Book Online

knew anything about it. He never cooked so much as a egg when he lived at home.
    I bet he wanted to, she said. It seem so natural to him. But Mr. ____. You know how he is.
    Oh, he all right, I say.
    You feeling yourself, Miss Celie? Sofia ast.
    I mean, he all right in some things, not in others.
    Oh, she say. Anyway, next time he come here, notice if he eat anything.
    I notice what he eat all right. First thing, coming up the steps, I give him a close look. He still skinny, bout half Sofia size, but I see a little pot beginning under his overalls.
    What you got to eat, Miss Celie? he say, going straight to the warmer and a piece of fried chicken, then on to the safe for a slice of blackberry pie. He stand by the table and munch, munch. You got any sweet milk? he ast.
    Got clabber, I say.
    He say, Well, I love clabber. And dip him out some.
    Sofia must not be feeding you, I say.
    Why you say that? he ast with his mouth full.
    Well, it not that long after dinner and here you is hungry again.
    He don’t say nothing. Eat.
    Course, I say, suppertime not too far off either. Bout three four hours.
    He rummage through the drawer for a spoon to eat the clabber with. He see a slice of cornbread on the shelf back of the stove, he grab it and crumble it into the glass.
    Us go back out on the porch and he put his foots up on the railing. Eat his clabber and cornbread with the glass near bout to his nose. Remind me of a hog at the troth.
    Food tasting like food to you these days huh, I say, listening to him chew.
    He don’t say nothing. Eat.
    I look out cross the yard. I see Sofia dragging a ladder and then lean it up gainst the house. She wearing a old pair of Harpo pants. Got her head tied up in a headrag. She clam up the ladder to the roof, begin to hammer in nails. Sound echo cross the yard like shots.
    Harpo eat, watch her.
    Then he belch. Say, Scuse me, Miss Celie. Take the glass and spoon back in the kitchen. Come out and say Bye.
    No matter what happening now. No matter who come. No matter what they say or do, Harpo eat through it. Food on his mind morning, noon and night. His belly grow and grow, but the rest of him don’t. He begin to look like he big.
    When it due? us ast.
    Harpo don’t say nothing. Reach for another piece of pie.

DEAR GOD,
    Harpo staying with us this week-end. Friday night after Mr. _____ and Shug and me done gone to bed, I heard this somebody crying. Harpo sitting out on the steps, crying like his heart gon break. Oh, boo-hoo, and boo-hoo. He got his head in his hands, tears and snot running down his chin. I give him a hansker. He blow his nose, look up at me out of two eyes close like fists.
    What happen to your eyes? I ast.
    He clam round in his mind for a story to tell, then fall back on the truth.
    Sofia, he say.
    You still bothering Sofia? I ast.
    She my wife, he say.
    That don’t mean you got to keep on bothering her, I say. Sofia love you, she a good wife. Good to the children and good looking. Hardworking. Godfearing and clean. I don’t know what more you want.
    Harpo sniffle.
    I want her to do what I say, like you do for Pa.
    Oh, Lord, I say.
    When Pa tell you to do something, you do it, he say. When he say not to, you don’t. You don’t do what he say, he beat you.
    Sometime beat me anyhow, I say, whether I do what he say or not.
    That’s right, say Harpo. But not Sofia. She do what she want, don’t pay me no mind at all. I try to beat her, she black my eyes. Oh, boo-hoo, he cry. Boo-hoo-hoo.
    I start to take back my hansker. Maybe push him and his black eyes off the step. I think bout Sofia. She tickle me. I used to hunt game with a bow and arrow, she say.
    Some womens can’t be beat, I say. Sofia one of them. Besides, Sofia love you. She probably be happy to do most of what you say if you ast her right. She not mean, she not spiteful. She don’t hold a grudge.
    He sit there hanging his head, looking retard.
    Harpo, I say, giving him a shake, Sofia love you. You love Sofia.
    He look up